Behind His Walls
by Alchemist14
Summary: Five years ago a tragedy befell one Severus Snape. Now his best friend has some welcome news, the son he believed to be dead has returned. Who was it who betrayed him in the first place and how will he cope? This story is very similar to my other, Bruised and Scarred however this one focusses on Severus' feelings and the walls he hides himself behind.


A/N: This is the story I wrote for my GCSE English creative writing assessment but it fit so i decided to upload it on here! Please let me know what you think.

Severus stood silently in front of a headstone, usual black teaching robes replaced with an equally black suit and tie, in his hand he clutched a small bouquet of white flowers. His shoulders shook with silent sobs and crystal tears rolled down porcelain cheeks as he stood there in the silence of the misty graveyard. The white marble headstone glistened with dew in the morning sunlight, it was obviously well cared for and the name "Sebastian Severus Snape' was written boldly in a colour so dark the letters seemed like black holes. Glistening onyx eyes stared transfixed at the stone and a hoarse whisper was almost lost to the wind.

"Why, Rose? Why did you leave me and take our son with you?"

Anguish was written in every line on his face, "five years have gone by and the pain never gets any easier, I just wish you were here" He quickly swiped a hand across his face to remove all evidence of tears before shaking his head sharply -jet black hair cascading over his shoulders- and turning to leave.  
He had barely made it two feet from the grave before the loud snap of a broken branch from behind him, had him whirling around in a flurry of dislodged leaves to face the man that had just stepped from his hiding place behind the big old oak tree, that shadowed the graves like a natural guardian. He let out the breath he didn't even know he was holding in a whoosh of air, "Lucius, what are you doing here?" he asked, his voice to his discomfort was annoyingly shaky and hoarse, clear evidence - if the tracks on his cheeks weren't evidence enough to betray the fact - that he had been crying.

Lucius walked forward, black boots moving silently through the damp, dewy grass the only noise his movement produced was a soft rustle as his long grey trench coat brushed the dead brown leaves scattered haphazardly across the ground. He came to a halt directly beside his old friend and gently placed one elegant, pale hand upon Severus' shoulder comfortingly,  
" I couldn't let my best, and only friend be alone, on today of all days" he shook his head sadly at his friend, the signs of wear obvious in his tired eyes and limp hair "I have some news but before I tell you, I just want to say, don't get your hopes up too high, as it may not be true."

"What is it Lucius? What has happened? Has someone else been killed? Is it Draco?" Severus asked rapidly, panic overtaking his features.  
"Hush my old friend, it is nothing so dreadful as that" Lucius reassured him hastily, "while looking through some files at the Ministry, I stumbled upon something interesting. Five years ago at St Mungos, a baby boy and his mother died in childbirth but in actuality someone altered the paperwork. Yes the mother did die but Severus, the boy did not"

Severus' mouth dropped open in shock and he numbly began to shake his head back and forth, slowly at first but getting faster and faster, arms coming around his middle in a protective hug. A chocked sob was torn from his throat and he desperately battled against the tears that threatened to fall, unwilling to embarrass himself in front of his friend.

Warm hands took him by the shoulders and pulled him into a warm embrace, "it's okay to cry Severus, you don't have to keep your masks up around me, you know that" the whisper in his ear was too much and he broke down. Sobbing violently, his hands grasped onto Lucius with an iron grip not able to let go throughout the storm of crying. All through this Lucius just held him, a silent pillar of support.

Sometime later when Severus had calmed down slightly, he wiped his face and pulled away from Lucius, flushing with embarrassment and asked the questions that had been pressing on his mind like a tonne of bricks.

"Do you know where he is, can we get him?" his friend smiled softly at him.  
"Yes Severus, when the documents were swapped the boy was placed with a family of the last name 'Stag' they live at 32 Belvedere Close in London, it's about a twenty minute drive from here."

Severus narrowed his eyes in thought, "that name is familiar" his eyes snapped open wide as he stumbled upon the answer, "Potter! That's the name Potter used as an alias!" he cried.


End file.
